held up his hands in a don’t ask me gesture. “You guys are a big damn help.”
“I’m still hungry,” Mariana said unceremoniously, a hint of a pout in her tone.
Shannon laughed. “I guess it’s a good thing I brought mini breakfast burritos, isn’t it?”
Mariana gasped. “You did?”
“Yep. Do you like breakfast burritos?”
Mariana nodded. “Does it have cheese ‘cause I love cheese.” She arched her brows and waited for Shannon to put the Bread Box bag on the table. “All kinds of cheese,” she clarified.
Shannon laughed. “I think we’re gonna be good friends, kiddo. I love cheese too. All kinds.” She put two miniature burritos on the plate in front of Mariana before the rest of sat down and ate in a satisfied silence, which gave me plenty of time to think.
Why was Brenna ignoring me?
What had I done to piss her off?
I had no answers, not yet, but I made a plan to go see her later today and get some answers.
Brenna
The salon was busier than ever today with half the chairs occupied, mostly with walk in clients and I should have been thrilled. I was thrilled to bits but I didn’t feel like myself. My spark was missing and I knew why. In one word, Grant.
I missed him. I missed the sound of his laughter, his handsome face, the way his eyes twinkled with mischief, and even the way he teased me about my accent, which I knew he secretly loved. I just plain missed him and that fact, well is made me mad. Spittin’ mad if you want to know the truth. I had to keep my distance, no matter how bad the longing got, no matter how many ways I convinced myself that one little phone call wouldn’t hurt. Much.
I knew it would and I was determined to keep my distance, so I focused instead on the gossip being bandied about the salon.
“Ten bucks and my blueberry pie says Stone and Sophie will have a beautiful little girl.” Shirl’s voice was more wistful than anything and I wondered if she had any grandchildren of her own.
“I’ll take that bet. I’ve already got twenty on Mara being pregnant before year’s end and I have a feeling I’m gonna cash in big!” I zoned out again so I couldn’t say who took Shirl’s bet but I let the gossip bounce off me as I set curls, washed hair and clipped split ends until I was blue in the face.
It was a good day at work, no, it was a great day at work and I just wasn’t in the head space to enjoy it, and that just directed all my anger at a certain former SEAL who occupied my thoughts nonstop. By the time the first and second wave of customers cleared out, it was past lunch time and I was cranky and starving, what some of the girls called ‘hangry’. But the two remaining clients were nurses who worked the overnight shift and were desperately in need of some pampering, so I did my best to give them what they needed while I counted down the minutes until I could grab some food.
They were both almost finished and the end was in sight, I could practically taste the hot, greasy lunch I planned to enjoy at the diner, and then the bell sounded over the door. Another client. After a frustrated sigh, I pasted on a smile and shouted a welcome to the newcomer. “Be with you in a sec!”
“You get to make people look pretty all day?” Mariana’s voice was unexpected, and I turned to found her big brown eyes trained on me in wonder. She looked so small with her oversized purple backpack, which she tossed on a chair with a very grownup sigh. “Cool.”
“Mariana, what are you doing here?” I glanced at the clock with a frown. “Shouldn’t you be in school right now?”
She nodded, her expression going from wide-eyed wonder to annoyance. “I don’t like that school or the kids. Or the teachers. They’re weird and they stare too much, and I’m not going back.”
I couldn’t help but laugh at her stubborn insistence. “I’m sorry to tell you, but kids your age have to go to school or else your parents get in trouble with the law.”
“I’m just one kid,” she groaned and flung herself into a chair with the drama of a teenager.
“Maybe so, but the government won’t see it that way. How about you give the school and the kids a chance?